Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I’m training to become a volunteer client advocate at our local pregnancy center. Last night, when I attended the first session, I was fully prepared to hear statistics on abortion, learn proper counseling approaches and techniques, and be given specific case-by-case scenarios to work through.

Nothing of the sort. Not yet.

I was rather humbled.

Instead, we discussed how to prepare our own hearts in order to more effectively reach the hearts of our clients. The example was given of a large, glass pitcher, sitting on a shelf, smudged with dirt and grime, filled with junk and cobwebs. No one could use the pitcher without doing some major scrubbing out and filling first!

Once all the junk was scrubbed and scraped and rinsed out of the pitcher, it was shiny and clean....but it was still empty! You can only go for so long on empty! God works despite us—whether we allowed ourselves to be filled or not—but in order to be the most effective minister, we need to be asking Him to clean and fill us every single day, instead of giving leftovers to our clients—all the stale and stagnant things saved up from yesterday.

When we take that time to sit at His feet, to delight in His Word, and grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Him, we won’t just be filled. We will be spilling over onto everyone we come in contact with!